As the curtain parts on 2013's opening titles, it's time to look at my favorite movie-going experiences of the past year. To make this list, both the film and the presentation had to be exceptional. I consider the quality of the print or digital transfer, the theater, the showmanship involved with the presentation, the audience, … Continue reading My Top Ten Movie-Going Experiences of 2012
Category: Digital Projection
The Digital Lawrence of Arabia Experience
I spent yesterday afternoon at the Castro, watching one of my all-time favorite films, Lawrence of Arabia. I've seen it many times, and over the last few years, always at the Castro. But this time was different. Sony digitally restored the epic this year, and this new version was played off a DCP instead of … Continue reading The Digital Lawrence of Arabia Experience
New Movies I’ve Seen Recently…and How I Saw Them
I've managed to see six first-run movies in theaters over the last couple of months. I liked all of them to varying degrees. Here's what I thought about the movies, and about the conditions in which I saw them. Technical note: All of these films were screened digitally, two of them on screens that had … Continue reading New Movies I’ve Seen Recently…and How I Saw Them
From 35mm to DCP: My Thoughts on a Critical Symposium
The current issue of Cineaste Magazine contains a symposium article on the digital transition. Fueled by a conviction that this transition brings with it important and wide-ranging repercussions with regard to film culture, and that it’s critical to investigate and debate these consequences, we have organized this Critical Symposium, inviting a range of people—repertory cinema … Continue reading From 35mm to DCP: My Thoughts on a Critical Symposium
More on Samsara, 70mm, and 4K Digital Projection
I got a chance this morning to talk briefly with Samsara director Ron Fricke and his primary collaborator, producer/co-author Mark Magidson. With little time set aside for me, we agreed to stick to the technical, format aspects Samsara's production and presentation. Some background: Samsara is the first film since 1996 to be shot in the … Continue reading More on Samsara, 70mm, and 4K Digital Projection
Samsara
A Documentary Directed by Ron Fricke How do you describe a feature-length, non-fiction motion picture without a story or words? How do you discuss something that works entirely on a sensory, emotional level, and yet still has a lot to say? Let me start with this: I sat, enraptured, throughout Samsara's entire 102 minutes, my … Continue reading Samsara
Side by Side: New Documentary Examines Cinema’s Digital Revolution
C+ Documentary Written and Directed by Christopher Kenneally How do today's leading filmmakers feel about the seemingly inevitable transition from a photochemical, film-based cinema to a digital one? Short answer: Many have enthusiastically embraced digital cinema, and the rest accept that physical film's days are numbered. But film still has some clear advantages. For most … Continue reading Side by Side: New Documentary Examines Cinema’s Digital Revolution
When You Least Expect It: The Return of 70mm
A funny thing happened on the way to a fully-digital cinema. At least two major filmmakers are returning to a beautiful, large film format of yesteryear. But you may not be able to see either of these films as they were meant to be seen. Pretty much everyone agrees that film is dying as a … Continue reading When You Least Expect It: The Return of 70mm
SF Silent Film Festival, Day 2
Amazing Tales From the Vault This year's technical talk concentrated on digital restorations and distribution by major studios, with experts from Paramount and Sony (Columbia). I didn't take notes, so I'll just give you a quick overview: Wings was projected off a DCP Friday night. Paramount has made a 35mm negative and prints of the … Continue reading SF Silent Film Festival, Day 2
Pandora’s Digital Box: David Bordwell’s Book on Films, Files, and the Future of Movies
Even cinephiles who embrace the look of digital projection (and I count myself among them) have plenty to worry about. The current digital transition threatens independent theaters, independent distributors, the accessibility of older movies (especially those outside the canon), and the long-term survival of yesterday's, today's, and tomorrow's motion pictures. No one has contributed to … Continue reading Pandora’s Digital Box: David Bordwell’s Book on Films, Files, and the Future of Movies
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